What does צַלְמָוֶת (ṣalmāweṯ) mean in the Bible?
צַלְמָוֶת (ṣalmāweṯ): Metaphorical darkness evoking death's proximity; captures existential dread without naming death directly, used of grave dangers and divine judgment.
Hebrew · H6757
צַלְמָוֶת
Shade of death , i.e. the grave (figuratively, calamity )
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צַלְמָוֶת H6757
Pronunciation ṣalmāweṯ
What does צַלְמָוֶת (ṣalmāweṯ) mean in the Bible?
צַלְמָוֶת (ṣalmāweṯ): Metaphorical darkness evoking death's proximity; captures existential dread without naming death directly, used of grave dangers and divine judgment.
Full entry for צַלְמָוֶת (H6757) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6757?
The BSB source-word alignment has 18 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of the shadow of death (3), and gloom (2), . . . (1), and darkness (1), and deep shadows (1).
Where does צַלְמָוֶת (ṣalmāweṯ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Job 3:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (10), Psalms (4), Jeremiah (2), Amos (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It of the shadow of death 3× Job 38:17, Psalms 23:4, Isaiah 9:2
and gloom 2× Job 3:5, Job 10:21
. . . 1× Job 28:3
and darkness 1× Jeremiah 2:6
and deep shadows 1× Job 16:16
and in the shadow of death 1× Psalms 107:10
and the shadow of death 1× Psalms 107:14
darkness 1× Amos 5:8
deep darkness 1× Job 24:17
deep shadow 1× Job 34:22
deep shadows 1× Job 12:22
into deep gloom 1× Jeremiah 13:16
of darkness 1× Job 24:17
of deep shadow 1× Job 10:22
with deepest darkness 1× Psalms 44:19
Show sample aligned rows
Job 3:5 וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת to and gloom Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Job 10:21 וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ to and gloom Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Job 10:22 צַ֭לְמָוֶת to of deep shadow Noun - masculine singular Job 12:22 צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ to deep shadows Noun - masculine singular Job 16:16 צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ to and deep shadows Noun - masculine singular Job 24:17 צַלְמָ֑וֶת to deep darkness Noun - masculine singular Job 24:17 צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ to of darkness Noun - masculine singular Job 28:3 וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ to . . . Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Job 34:22 צַלְמָ֑וֶת to deep shadow Noun - masculine singular Job 38:17 צַלְמָ֣וֶת to of the shadow of death Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Job 3:5
Aligned rows 18
Books represented 5
Job 10 Psalms 4 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 2 Amos 1
Source forms
צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ 3x ṣal·mā·weṯ Job 12:22, Job 16:16, Job 24:17
וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת 2x wə·ṣal·mā·weṯ Psalms 107:10, Psalms 107:14
וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ 2x wə·ṣal·mā·weṯ Job 10:21, Job 28:3
צַלְמָ֑וֶת 2x ṣal·mā·weṯ Job 24:17, Job 34:22
צַלְמָ֔וֶת 2x ṣal·mā·weṯ Isaiah 9:2, Amos 5:8
בְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ 1x ḇə·ṣal·mā·weṯ Psalms 44:19
וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת 1x wə·ṣal·mā·weṯ Job 3:5
וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת 1x wə·ṣal·mā·weṯ Jeremiah 2:6
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 10x Job 10:22, Job 12:22, Job 16:16, Job 24:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 6x Job 3:5, Job 10:21, Job 28:3, Psalms 107:10
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 1x Psalms 44:19
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 13:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Metaphorical darkness evoking death's proximity; captures existential dread without naming death directly, used of grave dangers and divine judgment.
Source Gloss
shade of death , i.e. the grave (figuratively, calamity )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Metaphorical darkness evoking death's proximity; captures existential dread without naming death directly, used of grave dangers and divine judgment.
shade of death, i.e. the grave (figuratively, calamity) BDB: death-shadow Usage: shadow of death.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Shadow of death; deep darkness; gloom; a place of extreme danger and lack of light
Showing 1 selected witness from 18 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain